Highlights

Mr. Mohammed BOUSSAID, Minister of Economy and Finance, represented Morocco in the first edition of the African Economic Platform (AEP) held in Mauritius from March 20th to 22nd 2017 in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063. He was accompanied by the Vice-President of CGEM which represents the private sector.

The meeting, attended by Heads of States, Government and Finance and Trade Ministers, aims to enable African political and economic decision-makers as well as the private sector to discuss priorities and challenges of the continent's development.

Morocco took part in this event after its historic return to the African Union, which devotes the view of His Majesty the King, May God Assist Him, to the development of the continent and the improvement of the living conditions of its citizens.

During this meeting, Mr. BOUSSAID stressed the need to increase concrete measures and projects of economic partnerships and private investments, as being the unique way to give a new impetus to the continent in order to strengthen its development.

The Minister stated that this goal could not be achieved without an enhanced South-South cooperation and more integrated regional markets.

Morocco, out of its conviction of the key role of regional economic zones, , asked, under the High Guidance of His Majesty the King, to join ECOWAS, for accelerating the co-emergence and co-development of African economies, to increase intra-African trade and thus support one of the objectives of this conference.

Thereafter, Mr. BOUSSAID briefly presented some of the economic and social projects of continental significance that Morocco launched in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the continent such as the large port of Tangier-Med, the pipeline project linking Morocco and Nigeria, which is an important vector for regional integration, the Tripe-A project launched at Cop22 for the agricultural sector, the various OCP Group projects to contribute to agricultural transformation in Africa and its food safety.

This meeting was also an opportunity to recall the key role of the Moroccan private sector. Some thirty Moroccan private companies invest in 37 countries in various economic sectors and take part in the development of these countries. This dynamic is expected to be enhanced with the growing interest of SMEs.

Finally, the Minister expressed Morocco’s will to contribute intensively in the success of this forum called to become an essential economic meeting for the African actors in the spirit of the wishes of His MAJESTY of an Africa that believes in Africa.​